Crystal the Centaur
Crystal is a character in Pathfinder in service to Brunhilde. She is strong-willed and enthusiastic, but she is also very naive about the rest of the world. She also enjoys snacks (carrots especially). History Crystal was born far up north, her family resembling clydesdales on account of the climate. Her family, however, were not the most admirable of people. Struggling to fend for themselves in the desolate northern lands of Oustomia, with few creatures to hunt and nothing in terms of available farm land, her family resorted to raiding traveling caravans and stealing whatever cargo they were transporting. They never attacked these caravans with the intention of hurting anyone, but it was inevitable that some people were accidentally harmed in the process. Such was the lifestyle Crystal grew up into, and when she came of age, she also joined in on the raids. It was during one of these raids that Crystal's life was changed forever. This caravan was accompanied by a mighty Paladin who, when the Centaurs began their raid, defeated them with her overwhelming power. However, rather than killing them, as a few of the Centaurs felt they deserved, she spared them. From that day forth, Crystal idolized this Paladin who had the power to defeat even an army of Centaurs, but the restraint to give them a second chance to redeem themselves. Ever since then, Crystal aspired to be a Paladin herself. Fighting bad guys came naturally to Crystal. Trained form a young age in combat, and abnormally large, even by the standards of her own kind, Crystal found that combat came easily to her. However, simply beating up thieves and other evil-doers as a vigilante wasn't enough for her. She wanted to learn ways to prevent violence rather than simply using violence to solve her problems. As such, when she heard that Brunhilde herself, the legendary hero of Wrathia was looking to expand her ranks, she readily agreed. The interview process was challenging for Crystal, who found herself tongue-tied to be so close to her hero, and she felt that she had failed. However, impressed by her passion and her desire to help others, Brunhilde offered to allow her to fight by her side. Crystal immediately agreed, and it was the best day of her life. A Challenge of Faith After being given the position as a Paladin of Wrathia, Crystal began to travel the continent, determined to learn more about the world that she was sworn to protect. During a fairly straightforward mission involving the elimination of zombies from a cave, Crystal met Iskander, the prince of Prospero. Iskander was immediately smitten with Crystal and asked her out for dinner after the mission, an invitation she accepted. Crystal, despite her apprehension, found herself having a great time. Even her meeting with Doll, who claims to be the King of Prospero despite resembling a young girl and showing up in the women's bathroom (awkward), did little to ruin her evening. Soon, Crystal found herself falling for the prince. However, Crystal knew that her visit to Prospero was temporary, and that her purpose was to eventually return to Wrathia to serve her oath to the Champion. And so, Crystal left, though for the first time, she was beginning to question her future as a Paladin. Her meetings with the likes of Ittei and Lilith caused her to question the nature of her duty as a Paladin, and whether or not she was truly willing to prioritize this life over everything else in her life, including her relationship with the Prince. Crystal determined that she needed to meet with the Champion, Brunhilde, to determine what the right decision would be; continue her life as a Paladin of Wrathia, or stay with her love in Prospero. With the help of the tiefling Ruby, Crystal managed to teleport to the outskirts of Wrathia, only to be reminded that her home was not welcoming of magic. Crystal and Ruby were forced to continue to Wrathia on foot, bonding along the way. Unfortunately, their long journey primarily served to reinforce how living two lives, one in Prospero with her prince, and the other in Wrathia as a Paladin, was impossible even with the aid of magic. Ruby encouraged Crystal to continue, however, explaining that she still felt it was possible. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed by Brunhilde herself, who made Crystal choose which path she wished to follow. Crystal, seeing how the all-powerful Brunhilde was alone, realized that this was not the life she wanted for herself. She left Wrathia with Ruby, deciding then and there that she would return to Prospero. Rebellious Youth After moving to Prospero, Crystal has made a variety of friends. While the prince himself is often too busy to visit her, she has managed to find herself in the company of many of Prospero's more colorful visitor.s. In particular, she came across a woman in black armor who introduced herself initially as Black Iron Tarkus, but who late revealed herself to be the daughter of Brunhilde. Crystal found herself quickly becoming infatuated with this woman, who she felt she could relate to over their shared desire to leave Wrathia behind. The centaur eventually managed to convince Tarkus to let her hair down a bit, helping her to acquire a form-fitting dress and partake in a night of partying and drinking. Of course, all actions have consequences, and soon Crystal found herself face-to-face with a specter of her past: a nameless Drow who claimed to be hunting Tarkus to return her to Brunhilde. The Drow claimed that Prospero themselves were backing Wrathia's claim, but whether it was out of bravery or foolhardiness, Crystal ignored these claims and fought the Drow so Tarkus could escape. All she found remaining of Tarkus when she returned to her room was an empty window. Crystal still hopes that she will see Tarkus again in some fashion, and keeps an eye out for anyone who matches her height (she is eight feet tall). Crystal has also had a very important meeting with barbarian, Semyaza. Initially, Crystal had a very poor relationship with the barbarian, who seemed to view her as little more than a mount on which she could ride (and without buying her dinner first!). However, her dislike towards this woman soon turned to respect when she learned that they had both lost their parents at a young age. Semyaza never knew hers, while Crystal lost hers during a bandit raid on her village. For a while she had contented herself as the Marshal of Wrathia by fighting them, but she soon learned that things are more complicated than they seemed on the surface as many of these bandits had families of their own to provide for. Crystal was maturing and was learning to see the world in less black and white terms. Simple revenge would no longer satisfy her. A Grandmother's Blessing It had happened entirely on accident. During her wanderings, Crystal found herself taking part in a battle against the undead. And not just any battle...it was a battle against truly massive foes, accompanied by an army of undead dragons. While Crystal did not know exactly what the meaning of the fight was, she felt that it was her duty as a Paladin to stand and fight. Vastly outclassed by both her allies and her opponents, Crystal came close to dying several times during this battle, and it was only thanks to the healing powers of a druid that she was able to survive at all. Quill sent her home early using a teleportation spell as the battle continued. It was by far the most traumatizing experience of Crystal's life. She had never felt so powerless before in her life. If such hordes were to reach Prospero, then she felt that there was little she could do to protect Iskander. Faced with little other option, Crystal began to pray to Erastil. However, her prayers were heard by another...her grandmother Sapphire. One of the centaur's most legendary warriors, Sapphire had long ago taken her rightful place as an astral deva of Iomodae. She bestowed upon her granddaughter her blessing and a portion of her power. Since then, Crystal has begun to change. In particular, she has begun to undergo a significant growth spurt. And with that growth spurt came a remarkable addition to her strength. Now standing over thirty feet tall, Crystal has become something of a giant, and she has vowed to use her power to better defend those she cares about most in this world. It was during a meeting with Ikari, the Queen of Chessur, that she came to fully appreciate her newfound power. It was during this time that Crystal's understanding of right and wrong. Meeting Quill in Nevermore introduced her to undead that were not inherently a threat. Once again, the Paladin's understanding of what was right and wrong in this world was challenged. A Passenger It was on the battlefield that Crystal found out how far she still needed to go if she wanted to be strong enough to protect her friends. When face-to-face with Malogash's hordes, Crystal found that she was powerless to stop them, or even make a significant contribution to the battle. Since then, Crystal has focused on getting stronger, working diligently to hone her newfound strength and size to become a defender of justice that all evildoers fear. Thankfully for Crystal, she has had a little bit of help in achieving this goal. Sapphire, Crystal's grandmother, bestowed upon her the blessing of an astral deva. However, since then she has taken a more active role in Crystal's life. If Crystal wants to become a respected and powerful Paladin, then she needs to dedicate herself to the cause and cannot afford anymore distractions. Occasionally, Sapphire has seen fit to intervene on her granddaughter's behalf, issuing stern warnings to some of Crystal's closest friends (such as Ruby) that they are not to interfere in Crystal's diligent training or distract her from what matters most. It was during this meeting with Ruby that Sapphire made another reveal about Crystal... It was no coincidence that Crystal has giant blood running through her veins. In fact, it was deliberate. Sapphire, seeking ways to help make her people more powerful, struck a deal with a tribe of Taiga to breed with Crystal's mother. The family would then raise Crystal as though she were a normal centaur, until finally she grew into a proud champion who could lead their forces from the front. Of course, Crystal's parents were taken from her before this plan could come to fruition, leaving Crystal to learn how to handle her powers on her own. Sapphires influence extends beyond these interactions with her friends. At times, in the heat of battle, Sapphire has seen fit to come to Crystal's aid even without her grand daughter realizing it. Crystal has reported that at times it feels as though another hand is helping her to guide her lance. She thinks its all her imagination, but in reality it is Sapphire assisting her granddaughter. Paladin of Shelyn Ever since Crystal left Wrathia, part of her has longed to return home. While she is still afraid of disappointing Brunhilde any further (Crystal still has a great deal of admiration for her childhood hero), another part of her finds that she longs to return there. With assistance from her friend Fictus, she sent a letter to Brunhilde asking for forgiveness, but has yet to receive a response. While Wrathia has not officially denounced her, Crystal is still hesitant to return. However, Crystal has also found a deity more suited to her. After doing some soul searching, she found that the biggest thing that separated her from the Champion was her love for boyfriend Iskander. Love was both the catalyst for why she left in the first place and driving force in regards to why she has yet to return. Devoting herself to prayer in the temples of Shelyn, Crystal soon found favor with the deity, and has made it her mission to help spread love to others. As a Paladin of Shelyn, Crystal has encountered new challenges. In particular, the struggles of her friend Quill have weighed heavily on her mind. While she doesn't fully understand the circumstances, Quill claims that someone is trying to turn him into a lich. Despite her attempts to protect him, Crystal held Quill's body in her arms. Though he was eventually resurrected, Crystal was emotionally traumatized by her experience, and has continued to devote herself to becoming stronger. During this time, Quill also helped her to achieve the miracle of flight, helping her to acquire griffin wings of her own by means she refuses to ask about. The Fallen Paladin Crystal had never been the best Paladin. Although she had a strong desire to help people, she often found that her own desires conflicted with those of her deities. While Shelyn was more in-line with her own beliefs than other deities, Crystal soon found that, due to many things that were beyond her control, she was losing her powers as a Paladin. The first event was the fight against Malogash. During the battle, they were confronted by the Sins, each of whom were focused on individual heroes depending on which sinful desire best represented them. For Crystal, it was Gluttony who focused on her, and she ripped the heart out of the centaur's chest. While she was eventually revived, she had left Crystal with a curse. Now, Crystal's appetite is seemingly endless, only satisfied when she spends a full day indulging her desires and eating to her heart's content. Her appetite had always been impressive before, mostly on account of her size, but now she was almost being controlled by her curse. Crystal's best friend, Quill, had also recently returned to see her...but he was different now. Having been captured by Malogash, Quill had transformed into a lich, a fact that he soon revealed to her after the centaur confronted him about why he had changed. Despite her knowledge that her best friend was a lich, Crystal refused to fight him, still hoping that someday they would be able to bring him back to normal. Because of her refusal to smite a lich and her inability to resist her curse, Crystal felt that her powers as a Paladin were beginning to fade. Rather than fight back or atone for what she has done, she took it as a sign that she was simply not cut out to fill the role of Paladin. While she was sad that she was unable to become a Paladin like she had dreamed of doing since she was a filly, part of her also felt liberated. Now, she could determine what she felt was good in this world and fight accordingly. Along with this change of goals came a change in attire. Crystal now wears a brown leather jacket over her armor, and wields a greatsword in combat that is almost double her size. She has begun to let herself take part in many of the activities she used to avoid, and now does things like drinking her cider during the middle of a battle. Personality * Enthusiastic * Confident * Awkdorable * Hangry * Optimistic * Innocent Naive to the ways of the world, Crystal always manages to see the best qualities in everyone she meets. Her optimism is considered charming by some, and annoying by others. She is always eager to help and has seemingly endless energy. She is, however, easily embarrassed, especially if someone compliments her or commits the faux pas of trying to ride a centaur (don't ride a Centaur if you want to live). Crystal has a few outside interests. Gifted with freakish strength on account of her size, Crystal enjoys weight-lifting (often using entire trees for her weights), sports competitions (at least, when a Centaur is allowed to compete, but thanks to her clumsy nature she frequently destroys both the equipment she uses and the people she plays against) and food. Crystal loves snacks and can be seen eating throughout the day. Her favorite snacks are carrots. Physical Appearance Crystal is a girl who has blessed by her genetics. With the beauty of her momtaur and the size and strength of her dadtaur, Crystal is a Paladin who manages to look good while smiting foes. She is often complimented for her...(cough)...assets, and her large muscles. Typically, however, she is found wearing heavy armor adorned with the emblems of Prospero. A recent growth spurt has lead to a considerable increase in Crystal's size and strength, and it is said in combat that a similarly built centaur can sometimes be seen watching over her. Friends and Foes * Friends * Brunhilde - Hero and commander. Crystal aspires to be like her more than anything else. While she does not follow her anymore, she still respects her. * Momtaur and Dadtaur - she frequently references the many life lessons she has learned from her parents. * Quill Paiyori - An enchanter Crystal met. She pities him for his self-loathing, but sees potential for good in him once he feels better. Has a stupid scarf. Quill in particular has become Crystal's closest friend, helping her achieve things such as flight. In return, Crystal does her best to protect her friend from the dangers he often finds himself in. * Ruby - A new friend of Crystal's who helped her travel back to Wrathia and encouraged her to follow her own path. * Suka - A tiefling who can't speak. Crystal felt so bad for her that she felt the need to adopt her as her "sistaur." * Iskander - The dashing prince of Prospero, and Crystal's main squeeze. A man of culture who likes centaurs. * Semyaza - What was once hatred had become respect for another warrior who lost their parents. * Black Iron Tarkus - Though she never caught the half-giant's real name, Crystal is fascinated by the daughter of Brunhilde who has ran away from Wrathia. * Queen Jenova - The queen of Chessur. A psychedelic meal helped her to reunite with her momtaur and dadtaur, if only for a time. * Sami Lina - A friend and prospective member of Crystal's Crusaders. Crystal helped Sami find a nice date with a guard in Prospero. * Lilia Saurmorn - Though they met under less than ideal circumstances, with Lilia having been cursed by dark fey, Lilia and Crystal found many similarities in their ideologies as Paladins and their taste in cake.Furthermore, Lilia's horse, Virgo, has taken a liking to Crystal. Aspirations Crystal desires nothing less than to become a legendary hero on the level of Brunhilde. She wants to be able to help people across the continent, whether it is directly, or by teaching others. More than anything else, however, Crystal desires redemption. To prove that her past does not dictate her future, and that anyone can become a champion of justice. Fighting Style Centaurs are unique. They fight like mounted combatants, charging their foes with overwhelming force, or crushing them underneath. Crystal is no exception. However, Centaurs do not use mounts. They ARE the mounts. Crystal is a knight and his noble steed all wrapped into one being. As a Paladin, Crystal is also capable of healing herself and her comrades with healing pats to the head. Crystal has not, however, given up her barbarian side to her. Capable of going into rage, Crystal is the kind of Centaur who is capable of both mercy and overwhelming force when necessary. She is also highly resilient to magic spells, a side-effect of living in Wratha most of her life. Since increasing in size, Crystal has relied more on her crushing strength to overwhelm her foes. She is perfectly content with running of her enemies and wields a massive lance with both hands. Few foes can survive her assault after a charge. Recently, Crystal has acquired the ability to fly, and has incorporated this into her combat style. She has worked diligently to master the art of charging foes with her lance even from midair. Along with her increase in strength came an improved ability to grip larger weapons. She now wields a lance larger than what would normally be possible for a centaur. Crystal has since altered her fighting style dramatically. To her, the lance is the weapon of a knight, and she no longer feels that she fulfills such a noble role. As such, she has traded her lance in for a massive greatsword that she keeps strapped to her back, able to crush her foes with a single swing. Mythic Ascension Her curse of Gluttony did not lead solely to weakness. Thanks to her increased appetite, the already muscular Centaur has since begun to pack on even more muscle. Her arms have biceps the size of most people's heads, and her broad shoulders are easily able to support even the heaviest of loads. Thanks to her curse, Crystal has become more attuned to the Giant Blood running through her veins, and is able to call upon the strength that used to be reserved only for the giants of old. When Crystal rages, her increased levels of power become more obvious. Her eyes and her hair glow, and she becomes capable of pulling off maneuvers with her massive greatsword that most are only capable of with considerably smaller weapons, such as parrying and dodging attacks. Theme Crystal's theme is the Underveil remix of "Spear of Justice" from Undertale. Category:Player Characters